Thursday 21 October 2010 04.24 EDT
First published on Thursday 21 October 2010 04.24 EDT

France faced another day of panic at the petrol pumps as refinery and oil depot protests continued despite government attempts to break the blockades over pension reforms. A quarter of the country's petrol stations have run dry amid fears over how people would get away for the long half-term break that starts tomorrow. North and western France were the worst hit.

All of France's 12 refineries and around 14 of its 219 fuel depots remained blockaded this morning. However, the environment minister, Jean-Louis Borloo, said the situation was "tending towards improving".

The French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, yesterday ordered police to break up blockades at depots and a handful were lifted. But in towns including Caen and Ouistreham, as soon as depot blockades were dismantled there was panic-buying at local petrol pumps. Police could move in today to break the 10-day blockade of refineries.

Public transport in many major cities, including Paris, was running almost as normal this morning, although sporadic strike action continued in some parts of the country, including a three-hour blockade of Marseille airport.

Unions will meet this afternoon to decide whether to call another day of national strikes next week to stop the movement petering out over the school holidays. Moderate unions are doubtful about continuing the protests, with the senate due to vote in favour of the contested pensions bill by tomorrow night. But more hardline unions favour calling for another nationwide day of stoppages and street demonstrations, possibly next Tuesday or Thursday.

Bernard Thibault of the powerful communist-backed CGT union vowed to continue. "There's no possible way out of this because the government is intransigent," he told RMC radio. "There's no reason to stop these protests." He said he would call for people to stage further walkouts and "descend onto the streets".

Sixth-form students will meet university students this afternoon to decide how to maintain momentum during the half-term break. University students, who have no break, have begun blockading faculties in support.

After more than 1 million people took to the streets yesterday to protest at Nicolas Sarkozy's pension reforms, rolling strikes continues today, causing widespread disruption to schools and transport and adding to a growing fuel crisis. Follow how the day unfolded